Peloton instructor Jess Sims will host ESPN’s new “Courtside at the Women’s Final Four” altcast during the Women’s Final Four this weekend.
“Courtside” is a reimagined version of ESPN’s previous altcast format, which for the past six years featured Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi on ESPN2 during the women’s tournament. ESPN recently announced they were going in a new direction with a wider panel of personalities. With that, they have now announced Jess Sims will be the new host.
Jess will be joined by Olympic bronze medalist Ilona Maher for both semifinal games and the championship, WNBA players Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams (known as the “StudBudz”) as analysts for Friday’s semifinals, six-time WNBA All-Star Chelsea Gray as a guest analyst for Sunday’s championship, and ESPN sports creator Katie Feeney handling roaming interviews and fan reactions.
The entire group will be seated courtside rather than in a traditional broadcast booth, which producers say will inject extra energy into the broadcast. A press release stated:
With Ilona, Natisha, Courtney, Chelsea, Jess, Katie and a dynamic lineup of guests, Courtside will deliver a fresh, authentic perspective on the game. By placing this group right at courtside, we’re creating an immersive experience that brings fans closer than ever – capturing the energy of the arena while also delivering insight, personality and fun.
Jess shared her excitement on social media, saying: “I am so excited for this. It’s basically like you’re watching the Final Four and the national championships with your girls courtside.”
Here’s the broadcast schedule:
- Friday, April 3 @ 7:00pm ET – Semifinal 1 (ESPN2)
- Friday, April 3 @ 9:30pm ET – Semifinal 2 (ESPN2)
- Sunday, April 5 @ 3:30pm ET – National Championship (ESPN)
Note that the championship game airs on ESPN rather than ESPN2.
This is the latest in Jess’s growing role with ESPN. She has served as a sideline reporter for several high-profile women’s basketball matchups this season and is a weekly contributor to “College GameDay.”
You can read the full press release from ESPN here.
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